


The Other Side

by Caramelo98



Category: Station 19 (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:07:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24114034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Caramelo98/pseuds/Caramelo98
Summary: This story is in the beginning of season 2, what if Robert Sullivan had a 12 year old daughter.Would that change something?What would be different through time?
Relationships: Andy Herrera & Robert Sullivan, Andy Herrera/Robert Sullivan, I don't know yet - Relationship, Victoria Hughes/Lucas Ripley
Comments: 17
Kudos: 50





	1. The beginning

**Author's Note:**

> This will not follow the course of the show, full fanfiction here. Just me finding a way to deal with my Surrera addiction. 
> 
> Hope you like it!!! Also, comment if you want me to continue, because I have other fanfiction, that already takes some time from me, and this one will only happen if you actually want it.
> 
> Thank you so much in advance 😊

Andrea Herrera was in the station’s roof; the lieutenant couldn’t believe that the moment was coming. The moment when they would know their chief’s decision: who would be the new captain? Maya came to the roof, saying that they had to go downstairs. There was it.

After meeting Travis, in a while, the team was expectantly waiting for the decision to be said. But the fact was, no one wanted to hear the word that came from Ripley’s lips. It wasn’t Herrera, and it wasn’t Gipson. Robert Sullivan, they all knew him, the man that had been the commander of the academy, the man who, no matter what, would always be a teacher for most of them. Or so they though.

Time went by, and the team didn’t seem to accept their new boss better. It started to look like the opposite, however, the moment when everything changed was when lieutenant Herrera and Captain Sullivan had their fight, in front of the fire department, and the police. To Chief Ripley and Captain Herrera, that was the turning moment. If only they knew the influence of their decision. 

The two men reunited with Sullivan, telling him that, without his team’s trust, he would not be able to do his job. Therefor, they had decided to make Andy his right arm, his first counselor at the job. Big decisions, reports, meetings, everything had to be done in her presence.

“That is ridiculous, if you didn’t promote her to captain, why are you putting her in such a position? I have to ask my lieutenant if I can make a decision?”

“It isn’t like that, but Robert… she has the respect of the team, more than anyone else. If you want the respect of the team, then you need hers first.”

That night, Robert Sullivan went home to his girl, Sheila Sullivan, his twelve years old daughter. After doing homework and cooking dinner together, both sat at their sofa, just talking. If the captain was proud of something, it was that girl.

Through a couple of weeks, Sullivan had the prof that his bosses were wrong, working directly with Herrera just set them further apart, and the yelling became more frequent. 

“Are you kidding me? Warren has a son! He should be the last on your mind to do a double sift!”

Andrea was fuming in the office, and the yelling could be heard in the beanery. 

“He is the less experienced one! It will be good for him.”

“Of course, because you really worry about your team.”

The sarcasm of that woman’s words always seemed to make him crazy. She was so insolent. Ridiculous. 

“Lieutenant be very careful of how you talk to your supervisor.”

And they kept going; the fights started with a theme, only to end in a whole other story. 

It stayed like that for a couple of weeks, fight after fight, never actually getting done. Captain Herrera and Chief Ripley were starting to doubt of themselves, and their decision. 

Could they be wrong about that? Was Sullivan so different from the team, from Andy, that it could never work?

Then it happened. Andrea and Robert were in his office finishing a report. Fighting over a report when there was a knock at the door.

“Not a good moment!”

Robert said, only to get a bad look from Andy.

Still, the person opened the door, putting her head inside of the room.

“Not even for you daughter?”

“Shei… Hi princess, walk in!”

Something in Andy changed, she didn’t know he had a daughter, and the way his eyes changed, or even his voice. That was completely different from what she was used to see. 

She was used to her boss being a stubborn, irrational, rule follower, annoying and calculist person, but the man in front of her was tender, and kind, and showed a love for the girl in front of her, that she had never seen in anyone else. 

“I’m so sorry about him, has he been rude?”

Sheila said to Andy who just stayed in her chair, not talking.

“Hum…”

“You can say, you know. He’s like the three headed dog in Harry Potter: you just need to know how to calm him down. The trick to contain him a little bit is ice cream.”

The girl blinked and Andrea turned to her Captain.

“You have a daughter? And she is beautiful…”

“Sheila, this is lieutenant Herrera. Lieutenant, this my Sheila.”

The captain introduced his daughter to the whole team, neither of them reacted the way Andy did, for them it was surprising, of course; but the amusement was smaller. 

After everyone had already gone to bed, Andrea and her Captain stayed in his office, in order to finish their reports.

“Herrera, whatever it is on your mind, you can say it.”

The man said, calmly, for the first time since…they met. 

“You’re different with her…How come no one knew you have a daughter?”

He taught for a moment and got back to work.

“Of course, why would you talk about that with your subordinate? God forbite you from showing something personal.”

"You know I was married right? Her name was Claire..."

Andy nooded, she had heard stories about how hurt that man got when his wife passed.

“She’s my daughter with Claire, our little princess. Me and Claire fought a lot to have her, did you know? We couldn’t… it took over a year for her to get pregnant, and then, when our baby girl was 3 years old, Claire left us…”

“She left you?”

“Died, car accident.”

“That’s why you left Seattle?”

The lieutenant was looking directly in his eyes, and everything seemed to disappear in that moment, with that talk.

“You are pushing it, Herrera.”

“Sorry, Sir.”

They stopped for a moment, only looking in each other’s eyes, not a word coming out. Andy could see the fight in his eyes. 

“You can talk to me. I’m not your enemy.”

The woman said calmly, in a soft tone that Robert didn’t know she had. 

“She is the most important part of my life. She looks like she is just twelve, I mean, she is… But she takes care of me as much as I take care of her…”

Andy just stayed silent while that man talked about his daughter, not even moving a muscle to blink, she just couldn’t. They stayed like that, in his office, inches apart, talking about their family’s, the reports being forgotten. After all, maybe she didn’t have to hate him.


	2. Told You So

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The friendship between Lieutenant and Captain starts to grow, will it continue it’s rhythm? Or will it go downhill soon?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here it is the second one… Hope you like it 😊  
> This story has had a great feedback so far, which means I’m investing in it.  
> Thank you so much for your comments and opinions, they mean the world to me.  
> Hope you Like it!

“Herrera.”

Andy started to wake up, slowly, confused. The woman had no idea where she was. Talking her time, Andrea opened her eyes, getting surprised when she realized she was in her   
captain’s office, head in his desk. The man was next to her, touching her shoulder, in order to wake her up.

“Is it morning already?”

“Yes, we feel asleep while talking. You should go, lieutenant.”

“Not leaving you doing the reports on your own… Let me help.”

“There is no need. I’ll do them and send to you.”

Andy would be lying if she said it didn’t hurt. The two had spent a night talking, showing their hearts, she thought they would be at least friends. But no, the man was full captain idiot mode, and she was tired of it.

“You really are a dumbass. You know that?”

“Excuse me?”

“How can you act like we are barely colleagues after the conversation we had last night? I... I was starting to see you has a human being. God, I’m an idiot!”

“Herrera calm down. You are, clearly, overreacting.”

She knew he was right about that. The lieutenant didn’t even know why she cared, but damn she did. He would be a great friend, she knew that because of the stories the man had told her, about his wife and daughter, and about his friendship with his best friend. 

“I thought we could be friends. I really did. I’m out captain, but don’t complain when you die alone.”

Without giving the man time to answer, Andrea left his office, heading towards the lockers. How she needed a shower.

After her cold, cold shower, Andy joined her team in the beanery. They enjoyed their breakfast in family, laughing and joking with each other. She had spent so much time with her captain that she forgot what it was like to be with real friends. 

By the time they finished their breakfast the shift was ending. It was a rare thing to happen. Eating a full meal on shift without being called to a call, and the lieutenant was grateful. Changing clothes and heading towards home, Andy texted her father agreeing on having lunch with him. Thing had been tensing between the woman and her father, since the announcements, even though there had been months. 

When she got to her old house, the man was waiting at the door.

“Hija, I’m so glad you agreed with lunch!”

The man said, sitting on her car. Andrea just smiled at him. Not answering, in order to get her head straight. It sounded surreal, but her mind was still in her fight with her boss, which annoyed her. She was not supposed to get this affected, was she?

At lunch Andrea seemed uneasy, a fact that didn’t came unnoticed to her father.

“Is everything ok? Are you ok?”

“Yes… I mean… Yes.”

“Andrea, I raised you. What is going on?”

“I should ask you that, papi. How are your treatments going?

“Oh, I’m fine. A little cancer is nothing. I’m still as strong as a horse.”

Andy rolled her eyes at that. God, that man was stubborn. She considered before talking but ended up doing it anyway.

“Did you know Sullivan’s wife?”

The man was surprised hearing that.

“Hum… Claire. She was a great woman, when he was my recruit, they had just started dating and that man was smitten with her. I was in their weeding, you know. Those two were made for each other. Then they had little Sheila and they were so happy. Sullivan was not like he is today.”

“He still is like that, when he is with his daughter.”

“You met Sheila?”

“She went to the station at the other day…”

Pruitt started to get worried. Why on earth, would his daughter be so interested in her captain’s life?

“Andrea…”

“It’s not like that… it’s just… He’s very tough with all of us. It is just good to know that he as a heart. Deep down, it exists.”

The lunch kept going, both talking, about work, about life. 

Andrea drove her father home, giving him a kiss goodbye. Just as the woman was about to take off with her car, the phone started ringing.

\- “Hello?”  
\- “Should I be offended that you literally just pulled your car in front on my house and didn’t even bother to come say hi?”  
\- “Ry…”

Andy jumped when her best friend opened the car door, getting inside.

“Really?”

“I’m bored Andrea.”

“I plan on going home, and sleep through the rest of the day. It won’t get you out of your boredom.”

“Still better than staying at my home.”

So, Andy drove to the house she shared with Maya. 

That was the rest of her day, sleeping with her best friend in her bed, just relaxing. Her second day off came flying with, sadly, meant the one more day until coming back to work. 

It was ridiculous, work used to be one of her favorite things, but working directly with Sullivan took away all her joy at the job.

That sift started calmly, Andy stayed with her team most of the day, that wasn’t particularly calm: ten calls, in less then twelve hours, of course most of them were small, but the team was exhausted.

After taking a shower, at the end of the day, Andy was walking towards the beanery, wanting to eat something before Miller and Montgomery decided to make dinner. What the woman was not expecting was to have that scenario when she got to the room: The table full of books, and Robert Sullivan was with his daughter, helping her do homework. 

The lieutenant stopped at the door, smiling at that. He did look like another person when he was with his daughter. 

“Lieutenant Herrera”

Sheila runned towards Andy, giving her as unexpected hug.

“Hello…”

Robert looked at Andy, smiling. 

“Oh my God, you know how to smile? You actually do that?”

“Brat.”

The man said, joking, which left Andy without words. If only he didn’t change back to jackass mode when his daughter wasn’t around. 

Andrea felt crazy. She wasn’t having visions, right? 

Andy grabbed an apple from the table, deciding to walk out.

“Lieutenant, stay here with us.”

Sheila said, smiling at the woman. Sullivan and Andy both looked surprised at the girls invitation.

“Calm me Andy, please… I have to…”

“Stay. No one is going to die if you don’t help with polishing the truck.”

And so, Andy stayed there, sitting in the table next to both. Eventually Sheila’s babysitter went to take her home, which was the perfect clue for Andy to go her own way. 

The team was all in the garage, resupplying the aid car and pulishing the firetruck. 

“Herrera, you were missing.”

“And you are pale…”

Vic said, looking at her friend.

“I was with Sullivan, and his daughter. Helping her on some homework.”

“What? Captain Grinch helps his daughter with her homework?”

They all laughed.

“Hey, he is actually very…”

Andy started talking, only to be interrupted by their boss, who had showed up. 

“Herrera, we have the incident reports from today to do. Miller, Montgomery, I seriously advice you to make dinner, unless you want your team to starve.”

“Yes captain.”

While the two men walked towards the beanery, Andrea went to her boss’s office. Sitting in her usual chair. 

“How many aid car call there were today?”

“Felt like a hundred… Fine, seven.”

“We will do those first…”

And so, they started, Andy’s least favorite part of the day… It was just awful to write, to detail, how their calls had gone. Maya walked in the office telling them the dinner was   
ready, being immediately dismissed by their boss.

“You should go eat Herrera.”

“If we both stay here, then the sooner we’re both going to eat.”

“I’m fine… Thank you. But go, don’t want my lieutenant to starve.”

And so, Andy went to the beanery, only to come back a few minutes later with to plates. 

“I don’t care about you principals, or stubbornness, or whatever. You are going to have dinner with me.”

The woman said determined. And so, he did. The two of them stood side by side, eating a meal together for the first time. 

“I have a question…”

“What is it Herrera?”

“Where does Sheila sleep when you are on shift?”

“Where did you sleep when your dad was off shift?”

“Touché. So… she stays with a sitter.”

“Or she sleeps at my parents’ house.”

Andrea stopped at that.

“Yes Andy, I have parents.”

“I… I didn’t… “

She didn’t know what to say. The woman who always had an answer was speechless. 

“I don’t get you.”

Sullivan said, very calmly, putting his fork down.

“You don’t?”

“You’re the most challenging person I ever came across with. You are stubborn, and insolent… But then you know how to make jokes, and you have those habits, like, you always hold your computer in the same way, or how your uniform is always so straight, and you do have this way of talking to me, I don’t know if I like that.”

“Like what?”

“You are always so easy to talk. It scares me, there is only one person, other than you, that makes me feel that comfortable. I’m comfortable with you.”

“You know you’re being coherent, right?”

“I know, it is easy to talk with you, you make me feel comfortable. Mostly. That is scary.”

“Are you saying we are friends? Is it that weird to you?”

“You are my first friend in a long time Herrera.”

“Dam it, I really wanted to hate you.”

And she was right. She hated that she liked him so much. And that was way scarier than any fire she had came across with. Or at least, the most dangerous one.


	3. Accidentally In Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Feelings are scary, right? To Andrea that couldn’t be truer. However, how are those two going to deal with their feelings? Will it go downhill?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is easy… well, our story is about to finally get juicy!!!!
> 
> Thank you so much for your support, please keep supporting me, you are very well appreciated. Also, give your opinion and ideas in the comment section, I would love to give live to your ideas. 
> 
> Hope you are enjoying it, I am loving!!!

Time went by, and, as soon as Andy noticed, it was the end of the shift. The lieutenant was going down the stairs when she saw the little girl next to the Captains bunk.

“Sheila, are you waiting for your dad?”

“Yes, he’s getting dressed.”

“How are you sweetie?”

“Good, slept in my grandma’s house today, don’t tell my dad, but I stayed up until midnight watching tv.”

“That’s very cool, what have you been watching?”

“I watched descendants… It’s so cool, you should watch it with me one day, my dad is already tired of it.”

“What am I tired of?”

Both girls looked at the man next to the door. Andy got very surprised, her boss was wearing sporty clothes, relaxed and looking comfortable. She smiled at that; he really could be a good company after all.

“Descendants, we should watch it today, dad!”

Sullivan looked terrified, begging for Andy’s support.

“You did this.”

“Well, since you already have company, I’m on my way.”

Andy said to the little girl, who frowned immediately. 

“Don’t…. You should come with us, dad promised me we were going to have lunch at Sancho’s!”

Andy looked at Robert, who just shrugged. That was a bad, bad idea, wasn’t it? The two of them had just became friends, barely, having lunch outside of work was way to personal.

“It’s not a good idea… Maybe another day?”

Both adults could see the disappointment on the girl’s face.

“You should come with us, Herrera. We’re friends, right?”

Andy looked in her boss’s eyes, seeing how honest he was, that could work. 

“Are you sure?”

The tone was so soft that it made Sullivan melt. The best part was the smile on Sheila’s face, the girl really wanted to spend time with the lieutenant. That settled it, and the three of the headed towards the restaurant, Andy on her car, Robert and Sheila on his. As soon as the cars parked, the youngest of them runned out of hers, towards Andrea, who just smiled. Robert, however, walked calmly, without thinking to much of it. 

As they walked in the building, the girl wouldn’t stop; wouldn’t stop talking, jumping smiling. Her excitement was unbelievable, and her father couldn’t be happier about that. She hadn’t been a very cheerful child, not since her mother passed away. He had told that story to his new friend before: Claire was in the car with a two year old Sheila, when a drunk driver hitted them; She died immediately, and, even though Sheila was young, very young, the girl had strength to leave her broken car seat, a hug her mother, her dead mother for five hours, before another driver found the two of them. That story always broke Andy’s heart.

However, in that moment, Sheila was happy and smiling, having lunch with her dad and their new friend. They kept laughing, and joking, Robert, to Andrea’s surprise, was the one messing up with the food, making all three laugh. 

After the meal, Andy and Robert stayed in a bench, while Sheila played in a climbing wall, the two of them were way closer than they had too, almost touching each other.

“You have an amazing girl, boss.”

“You know you can call me Robert, right?”

Andy looked at him, inches away from his face.

“Yeah.”

It was barely hearable. Her voice was fading and the woman new exactly why. 

“Dad, Andy, look!”

Both adults jumped, like two teenagers getting caught. The child was at the top of the wall, smiling, and laughing. And then, everything happened slow motion. While laughing, the girl lost her focus and the wall escaped her hand, making her free fall for 6ft. The two firefighters runned towards her, in panic. 

“Sheila!”

They got to her, glad that, not only she was awake, but she was responding.

“Don’t move, you might be hurt.”

Andy said, writing the very know number on her phone. Calling for an aid car.

“My leg hurts, a lot.”

Robert looked paralyzed, he just could think about holding his baby in his arms and run as fast as he could. But that wasn’t an option, the firefighter in him knew that that was the worst possible thing to do. 

The aid car, from B shift, came in fast, and while Robert went with his girl in it, Andrea grabbed their jackets from the floor, heading towards Grey-Sloan, behind the ambulance. 

When she got there the girl was in the ER room with her dad while doctor looked after her. 

“Captain Sullivan, I know you don’t want to hear this, but we need to take her for a scan. You need go the waiting room.”

The man was about to protest, but Andrea stepped in, holding his arm. He gave up, in that moment, giving a kiss to his daughter, the man walked away with his friend. Andrea helped him to sit, taking the place right next to the man, hugging him. Without even thinking, Robert gave a kiss on the top of her head, the thing was, what was supposed to seem awkward, or even weird, made them more comfortable. 

Dr. Link ended up showing, telling them the girl would be alright, it was just a broken leg. Something normal in that age. The girl was smiling when the two of them walked in the room.

“Andy, you are still here!”

“I am baby girl.”

“You would think she would want to see her dad, but no.”

Robert said, walking closer to his child, hugging her.

After hearing all the doctor’s advice, Robert convinced Andy to go to their home, and Sheila was more than happy to hear that. The lieutenant couldn’t believe when she walked in that place, it really looked great. Who would believe that Captain Sullivan had such a great taste at decorations?

The small girl went directly to her bed, with her dad’s help in the stairs, she was under the effect of some strong sedatives. After tucking her in, Robert went back down to Andrea, who was awkwardly sitting in the couch.

“Wanna drink something?”

“I’m fine thanks…”

“Well, I’m not, come on…”

The man said, grabbing her hand. They walked in the kitchen, while Andy sat on one of the highchairs, Robert started working around, chopping fruits, grabbing syrup, and milk.

“What on earth are you doing?”

“A smoothie, you’ll see it. Its’s amazing!”

“You surprise me every day.”

The two of them staid like that, hanging out for a couple of hours, enjoying each other’s company on the sofa, just talking. 

“Oh, I want to show you something so cool!”

Robert runned towards upstairs, leaving the lieutenant in his sofa, surprised at his sudden move, only to come back with his laptop.

“Should I be scared?”

“No, actually, knowing you, you will love this.”

Andy was shocked when her bosses showed her the new gadgets he approved for the station. And he loved her excitement, or the sparkle in the woman’s eyes. It was incredible the love and passion she showed towards their job. It was something that draw him to her.

At the end of the day, the lieutenant went home, sadly. Twenty-four hours before, both of them wanted distance from one another, but still, at that moment, all they wanted was to keep spending time together, and talking. However, they both were adults and knew that Andy needed to go home, and Robert needed to wake up and spoil his hurt daughter.

Andrea knew, in the moment she walked in her house, that she was screwed. Her best friend was there, in their sofa, smiling widely.

“What?”

“Oh, come on, where have you been?”

“I thought I left my father’s home to have more privacy….”

“Andy, you left the station with our captain and his daughter… I saw you. What was that?”

“Nothing… He just… He isn’t as bad as you all think. I think we are becoming really good friends.”

“Oh bullshit.”

“Why? Cause we are a man and a woman? We can’t be friends?”

“When you spend the day with him and his kid, you ain’t just friends. Plus, that man barely talks with people, but he is all smiles and heart eyes with you. I’m telling you; you are   
not just friends.”

“His daughter got hurt today, that is why I stayed with him.”

“She got hurt?”

Andy proceeded to tell her best friends the events of the evening, ended up talking about the lunch, and the new gadgets her boss had just showed her, although, that just made 

Maya more suspicious. The woman knew her best friend, Andy was smiling like she had never seen before.

The two women ended up running at the end of the day, it was a very helpful thing to do when both needed to breath. When they got home, both went directly to their respective showers. To Andy’s surprise, when she got to her room, still in her towel, her phone was blinking with a WhatsApp message. It was a video of Sheila and Robert in her bed, the girl was thanking Andy for their day and help. The lieutenant couldn’t stop smiling at that, it really meant the world to her, so she responded immediately. 

Right after getting in her pajamas, the lieutenant laid in her bed, relaxing, thinking. Could Maya be right? Were things between her and her boss going to far? He was her boss, after all. And everything could go south very easily. All Andy could think about was how important he was for her, and how good it felt, through the day, to be close to him, to feel him. Herrera was so deep in her thoughts, that she barely noticed Bishop walking in her room, getting in her bed with her.

“What are you doing?”

“Nothing, I was bored, do you want to talk?”

“Maya…”

“Hey, are you alright?”

Andy couldn’t hide this from her best friend, even if she tried. 

“I’m scared.”

“You never get scared of anything.”

The woman stayed silent, looking at her ceiling. After a couple of seconds, the words were spoken, the words the woman was so scared of saying. 

“I think I’m falling in love…I’m… I’m falling in love with Sullivan.”


	4. Shut Up And Dance With Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The feelings and outside opinions are starting to make a certain effect. Will it be a good thing? Meanwhile, the Captain and the Lieutenant are getting closer every second.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said I would poste yesterday, but my cat ate my internet (don’t ask) and I hurt my hand, the right one. Yes, the I use to write.   
> But the chapter is here, and I keep having ideas for this particular story and trust me when I tell you that a lot is to come!  
> Thank you so much for the support and the comments, you all are wonderful!  
> Please give me your feedbacks and honest opinions of what I could do better.  
> Hope you like it!

That night was complicated for Andy, the woman kept turning around, not being able to sleep. Was she really feeling something towards her captain? After hours of debating with herself, the lieutenant decided that it was nothing, after all, the two of them had come a long way to become friends, the way she was feeling was normal, right?

The next day came flying, and the lieutenant woke up early, despite the night she had, in order to go for a run with her best friend. At home, the two friends decided to watch some random tv show while texting their friends, planning to spend the afternoon together at Miller’s. Andrea decided to text Sullivan, asking if the captain would like to spend the day with his team, however, the man answered saying that his daughter was upset because of her leg, so he would stay with her throughout the day, not without inviting his new friend to step by if she wanted to. 

The hours with her friends were extremely fun, the team was amazing and the mood in that place was just outstanding. But Herrera couldn’t stop thinking about the girl that only had her father with her. Andy had been, in the past, in that exact situation, and she knew how hard it was. After considering it a lot, the female made a decision, getting up from the sofa she was sharing with Gibson, leaving her beer at the table.

“Where are you going, Herrera?”

“I… There’s just a place where I need to be, sorry guys.”

And with that the woman left, leaving Maya being questioned about the destination of her best friend. There would be rumors, the woman knew that, but she needed to do something.

Robert was in his daughter’s bed, the two of them watching the girls favorite movie for the third time in that day, when the doorbell rang. Dragging himself through the stairs, wearing nothing but some sporty jeans, the man went to open said door, smiling when he saw his favorite colleague. 

“Andy? What are you doing here?”

The woman took a few moments to appreciate the vision she was having. Boy, that was a fine man.

“I know how bored you two must be, so decided to intervene.”

Helping her with the bags she was caring, the man walked inside with his friend, both of them heading towards the kitchen.

“What is all this?”

“We are going to have a picknick.”

“Sheila doesn’t want to go outside, Herrera. Your intention is great, but my daughter needs to take it easy.”

“Do you honestly think I never broke a bone? God man, do you even know me?”

That’s when the woman took action, extending a blanket in the living room floor, in order to place the food on the floor, looking like the perfect picknick plan. Robert’s eyes were shining at that moment, how was it possible that he ever hated that woman? How was it even possible that he had a friend that would do such a thing for his daughter?

“See? You don’t need to go outside to have a picknick!”

The Captain walked towards his lieutenant, giving her a hug, holding her close for a while. Andrea let out a breath, adjusting her head against the man’s chest. It felt good, too good, and both adults knew it wasn’t necessarily a good thing, they both loved this friendship, if they decided to ever act on other feelings, they could lose each other. 

Departing from his friend, Robert walked upstairs, only to appear a few minutes after with his wining daughter in his arms, helping her down the stairs. The girl got hysterical, loving the surprise, hugging Andrea.

Hours passed, with the three of them sitting on the floor, laughing and talking. Sheila told Andy about the summer vacations she usually spent with her father, or his weird habits at the beach, while the lieutenant shared stories about how she, herself had been raised by a single dad, and how amazingly he had dealt with her teenage hood, mostly. 

The little girls ended up falling asleep on the living room floor, leaning on her father, who was caressing her head.

“I should put her to sleep, tomorrow she has school, and we have a shift…”

“Yeah, and I should get going.”

“Just wait here, ok?”

The man said, grabbing his daughter. Herrera hated how his naked arms made her feel, she hated how that man was making her feel, even though it was the warmest and   
sweetest way possible. Robert came back down alone, with a t-shirt on, to Andrea’s disappointment, sitting back next to her, both leaning against the sofa, side by side.

“What you did today was great, you know that, right? How can I thank you?”

“You don’t have to thank me, I loved it. Made me nostalgic.”

Both were talking in a tone so soft, that it almost looked like they were whispering. Inches away from each other, and always with a wide smile in their faces, the two adults kept   
talking, not noticing the hours passing. 

The themes of their conversation went from work, to their families: Andrea talked about her father and the ways he found to support her, the traditions he had created just for the two of them; Robert talked a lot about his own parents, both had been married for 45 years, happily. The Captains mom was crazy about cooking, owning and managing a restaurant right outside the city, his father had been a military for his whole life, being resigned, he spent most of his time helping Mrs. Sullivan. 

Without even realizing it, it was two a.m. and the two firefighters were talking about their own hobbies and past jobs.

“Are you kidding me? Your teenage job was teaching dance?”

“Why does everyone react like that? Jeasus.”

“Come on Herrera, you are always so serious, and dance is supposed to be spontaneous…”

“I can be spontaneous, and who are you to say that someone is too serious?”

The two of them were bittering with one another, laughing together.

“What did you dance? May I know?”

“That is the kind of information you will never have…”

“I can ask people, you know that, right?”

“You only know one person who could give you that knowledge, and he doesn’t like you that much.”

“Your dad? And I thought I was he’s favorite person…”

That made the two laugh, looking at each other’s eyes, getting closer to each other.

“Salsa.”

“What?”

“I danced salsa.”

“Oh, I took a few salsa dances…”

“Why would YOU ever do that?”

“Mother made me before senior prom. Dance with me, I’ll prove to you I still know something.”

“One day.”

“Now, let’s dance now.”

The man got up, offering his hand to help the woman get up, however, she just stayed on the floor, looking at him. Puzzled.

“No.”

“Really? And I am the serious one, Herrera.”

“There is no music.”

And so, the man grabbed his phone, searching on YouTube for a song to play. Herrera couldn’t resist it, and as soon as the song started to play, the lieutenant stood up, walking towards the man that made her feel lost. 

The shift started at 8 am, Sheila’s school at 8 and a half. It was 7:45 am when the two adults woke up, in the living rooms floor, spooning each other. Without taking the time to feel awkward about the situation they were in, both firefighters went their ways running, Robert upstairs to wake his daughter, Andrea cleaning the room and leaving, before the girl saw her. There was no need to leave Sheila confused about the woman’s presence in the morning. Andrea was confused enough for herself, and the little girl.

That was not how she wanted to start her morning, still it was the perfect way to. Instead of heading home, where she would immediately have to face her best friend’s questions, Andrea decided to go directly to the station, at least there she could have a shower without talking to anyone, and think alone for a while. 

The beanery was full of A shift members when Herrera walked in to take her breakfast, and it took less than two minutes to have Hughes and Bishop next to her.

“Where did you sleep?”

“Woa, news travel fast.”

“Shut up, I slept at your house.”

Before Andrea could answer the Captain walked in the room, preparing his own food, and sitting at the table, next to his team. Everyone stayed silent during that, not knowing how to react.

“Captain, you eat?”

Andrea said, taking the place next to the man. She knew that it had to be her talking, she was the only one in the team with intimacy with that man, too much intimacy for her taste at that point.

“Well Herrera, not everyone survives on sugar cereal, you know that?”

The reference to the conversation they had the night before made the lieutenant laugh, and even though that made everyone more surprised, it also made them relax around their captain. The conversations started to become more fluent and extemporized. 

Line up came flying, going well, the team was discharged to do their shores, Andrea being assigned to the aid-car to Bishop, which at the moment was her biggest nightmare. She couldn’t be alone with Bishop and her questions; she was not ready for them. Luckily for the lieutenant, the days was full of calls, and hard ones, not giving them the time to talk about their personal lives. 

At the end of the day, the two women were resupplying the vehicle, when the talk finally happened. 

“So… you slept at Sullivan’s?”

“No… I… I was with my dad.”

“Andy, how long have we been friends? I won’t judge you, you’re my best friend…”

Andy stopped, looking at her best friend for a while, before answering.

“Yes, I slept at Sullivan’s… Is daughter wasn’t feeling alright, so I went there to help… Ended up talking to him the whole night.”

“Talking!? You are telling me that you spent a whole night talking to a man? A man that you have feelings for, by the way?”

“I don’t have feelings for him…”

“Really? Because, the other night you said the opposite…”

“We are just becoming really good friends, I got confused, just that. It’s no big deal.”

“If you say so… When you’re ready to talk about being in love with you captain, I’m here to listen.”

Andrea opened her mouth to answer her friend, only to be interrupted by someone, who stood behind the two women. 

“Lieutenant Herrera, we need to have a talk, can you come to my office, please?”


End file.
